Harold Mark Huddleston, Hillsboro, Oregon is sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for steal $100,000 in traveler’s checks and other valuables from campground cars. Huddleston and his gang hit Mazama campground at least 14 times. (see May 12, 1994)
January 18
Paul Heron, age 77, long time boat operator at Crater lake, dies in Klamath Fall, Oregon. Paul began working at Crater Lake as an auto mechanic in 1933. He was placed in charge of operating the Lodge Company’s boats two years later. Mr. Herron made “several thousand” hikes up and down the Caldera wall during his 28 summers at Crater Lake. He retired in 1961 following a massive heart attack, but Paul continued to work part-time for the Lodge Company in an advisory position as a machinist until his death.
January 21
Over $10,000 in jewelry stolen from the Cafeteria during a midnight burglary. The case seems to be an inside job and has not been solved.
March 1
The second annual Dutton Creek Ski Race is won by Reider Peterson, 41, of Ashland, in the time of 31:55 minutes. Brian Smith, age 11, skis the race in 58.45, shaving 22 minutes from his 1980 time.
April
Roger Rudolph enters on duty as the Park’s new Chief Ranger, transferring in from Yellowstone National Park. He is quoted as saying, “I couldn’t be happier. I think I have died and gone to Heaven.”
April
Renovating Crater Lake Lodge will become number one on the list of jobs to be accomplished during 1983 in the Northwest Region of the NPS. The plans call for gutting the building’s interior and then rebuilding from the ground up with new fire-retardant materials, new plumbing and bigger rooms. Cost estimates run at about $6.5 million. $150,000 alone will be spent this summer on improving the fire alarm system.
April 2
Monte Hawk, 21, from South Dakota is found dead, inside of his car at the Ponderosa Pine Picnic Area. Hawk had committed suicide by asphyxiation from Carbon Monoxide. Monte’s death note stated that since public schools were interested in allowing prayers in schools, it was “time to throw in the towel… I’m filled with much despair for this perverse society in which we’re forced to eek out a living. When one of the fundamental tenants of our Constitution separation of church and state is so blatantly challenged, I can only hang my head and cry…There’s a thin line between genius and insanity. I believe I’ve walked both sides of that line at times.”… A quantity of porno and sado masochistic magazines was found in his car. A partial burned pile of porno magazines was found along side the car. The vehicle had been reported stolen on March 21. The death note asked that Hawk’s mother not blame herself for what happened.
April 3
The Oregon Legislature passes a joint memorial calling for the retention of the Lodge.
April 28
Nuckolls Construction, Inc. of Roseburg, is awarded a $306,965 contract for interim rehabilitation work on Crater Lake Lodge. Work is to include shingling on the Lake side, construction of a south fire escape, rebuilding two other fire escapes, and the extension of a stairwell and the changing of inward swinging doors. Fire retardant materials will be installed in the halls and the large chimney, once the largest in Oregon, will be chinked to prevent smoke leakage. This will be the first replacement of the 60 year old shingles.
Spring
Water year: Precipitation of 75.33 inches.
May 2
Stone house #24 is damaged by fire when a cardboard box placed, on the oil heater, bursts into flames. The fire was spread around the first floor when an attempt was made to beat out the flames.
May 5
Crater Lake Lodge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Lodge’s fire places and chimneys are now exempted from building codes because of the listing.
May 10
A biologist from the Predatory Bird Research Group at the University of California, rappels down to a Peregrine falcon nest, removes three eggs and replaces them with two newly hatched chicks. One egg died during incubation, but the other two eggs hatch after the shells were protected from drying out by a special waxing process that thickens the shells. One female now “consorts” with a male from Yosemite.
